Bursa Candied Chestnut is a dessert variety unique to Bursa province in Türkiye, prepared by cooking chestnut fruit in sugar syrup. It is generally consumed directly as a snack; packaged products are served as treats at home or when entertaining guests. It can also be found in some patisseries and cafes, on dessert plates, or as a garnish accompanying desserts.

^{Bursa Candied Chestnut (Generated with Artificial Intelligence)}

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The production of Bursa Candied Chestnut dates back to the early 20th century, particularly to the Bursa Confectioners' Bazaar. For many years, Bursa province, being the production center of candied chestnuts, has played a role in the historical development of the product, leading to a reputation linked between the product and its geographical boundary.

Product Description and Distinguishing Features

Bursa Candied Chestnut is a semi-solid food product prepared by peeling chestnuts and cooking them in syrup. The chestnuts used in the product are selected from varieties that are easy to peel and have thin skins. In these chestnuts, the skin ratio should be below 25%; the skin color should not be very dark. The overall color of the product is amber and yellowish tones, exhibiting a non-caramelized appearance.

The fruit content should be 63-71% in plain candied chestnuts and at least 60% in syrupy products. The pH value of the final product should range between 5 and 5.8. The product sizes are classified as small (5-10 g), large (10-20 g), and extra-large (30-40 g), and this information is stated on the packaging.

Production Process

Peeling Chestnuts

Chestnuts can be peeled manually or with the help of a machine to remove their skins. For machine peeling, the outer shells of the chestnuts must reach a certain dryness. Dried chestnuts are scored by machines and separated from their outer shells. Then, these chestnuts are transported to a steam unit via conveyors to be softened with steam and cleaned of their inner membranes. Chestnuts with separated inner membranes are transferred onto a conveyor belt. Personnel working on this belt use special knives to clean residues adhering to the fruit. Once the peeling process is complete, the chestnuts are either directly taken into production in 8–10 kilogram bags or stored frozen at -18°C for temporary storage. Chestnuts preserved in this manner remain usable for 2 to 3 years.

The chestnuts obtained after processing should have light tones (cream color) and should not have undesirable characteristics such as sourness, astringency, or tartness in their taste.

Classification by Size

Peeled chestnuts are divided into four groups by weight: small (4–7 grams), medium (7–10 grams), large (10–15 grams), and extra-large (over 15 grams). For Bursa Candied Chestnut production, medium and large-sized chestnuts are preferred. These products can be prepared depending on the production method, either by the traditional method of tying them in cloths or by placing them directly into baskets. Tying with cloth is one of the methods used in home production in the first half of the 20th century, allowing the product to be cooked without damage.

Boiling Stage

Chestnuts separated by size are placed into boiling vats along with stainless steel baskets. The water used here must be purified, softened, and treated with ultraviolet light. Chestnuts are boiled for varying durations depending on the softening of their texture. At this stage, the sugar syrup required for the subsequent process is also prepared in a separate container.

Cooking in Syrup

After the boiling process is complete, the water is drained from the chestnuts. The chestnuts are cooked with the prepared syrup in open or closed vats for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. The syrup content can be adjusted to approximately 10–12 kg of sugar and 4 kg of water for 10 kg of chestnuts. After cooking is completed, the chestnuts are left to rest.

Packaging and Storage

Candied chestnuts are classified by weight: 5–10 grams as small, 10–20 grams as large, and 30–40 grams as extra-large. This classification is clearly stated on the packaging. Products are offered for sale in various packaging types such as boxes, bowls, glass jars, metal tins, vacuum bags, or plastic containers. Depending on the packaging method and the heat treatment applied, the product's shelf life varies between 30 days and 3 years.

Geographical Boundary and Production Obligation

Due to the product's historical past, the traditional nature of its production techniques, and the master craftsmanship required in its making, all production stages of Bursa Candied Chestnut can only be carried out within the provincial borders of Bursa. The condition that production must be carried out with local knowledge, skills, and resources, which is one of the basic criteria of geographical indication, is met for this product.

Inspection Mechanism

The inspection of the product is carried out at least once a year by a commission, coordinated by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and comprising at least three expert individuals from the Food and Feed Branch Directorate of Bursa Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and the Bursa Food and Feed Control Center Research Institute. Inspections can be carried out at any time when necessary or in case of a complaint.

Inspection criteria are as follows:

1. Physical suitability of the chestnuts used (absence of defects such as rot, worms, or frostbite),
2. Compliance of the fruit content in the product with minimum standards,
3. Not more than 3% glucose used in syrup production,
4. Suitability of the product's physical properties (color, odor, appearance),
5. Proper use of labeling and the appellation mark emblem,
6. Size information on the packaging.

In suspicious cases, chemical analyses can be performed on the product. Within the scope of these analyses, the glucose content should not exceed 1%, and the pH value should be in the range of 5–5.8.